Means of Consumer Protection in India

Many Companies have opened up their own customer grievance cells, toll free customer care centres for handling different types of grievances.

Coca-Cola India has a separate section dealing with handling the problems relating to doubts in the minds of existing and prospective consumers, in the name of Rumours, in order to satisfy them and safeguard the company’s reputation and growing business.

Means of Consumer Protection followed in India:

(a) Lok Adalat

Lok Adalats are the effective and economical as the aggrieved party can directly approach the adalats with his grievance, his issues are discussed on the spot and decisions are taken immediately e.g. cases of electricity billing, telephone billings, road accidents etc. can be taken up in Lok Adalat.

(b) Public Interest Litigation

Public Interest Litigation (PIL) is a scheme under which any person can move to the court of law in the interest of the society to provide legal remedy to un-represented groups and interests like for consumers, minorities, poor persons etc.

(c) Redressal Forums and Consumer Protection Councils

This is a judicial system set up to deal with the consumer grievances and disputes at district level, state level and national level, under the Consumer Protection Act 1986. These are District Forum, State Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission (State Commission) and National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission (National Commission).

(d) Awareness Programme

With a view to increase the awareness among the consumers the Government of India has initiated various publicity measures by bringing out journals, brochures, posters, organizing poster and slogan competitions, video programmes on T.V., audio programmes through All India Radio and FM channels etc. Government has also instituted National Awards to the persons having done outstanding work in this field.

(e) Consumer Organizations

Consumer organizations like CERC (Consumer Education and Research Centre), Ahmadabad,VOICE (Voluntary Organization in the Interest of Consumer Education), New Delhi, CGSI (Consumer Guidance Society of India), Mumbai, have been set up in recent years, which are involved in collecting data, testing, investigating, publishing and distributing brochures and journals, organizing consumer awareness programmes, filing complaints, suits and writ petitions on behalf of the consumers, etc.

(f) Consumer Welfare Fund

For providing financial assistance to strengthen the voluntary consumer movement in the country the government has created a consumer welfare fund, mainly used for setting up facilities for training and research in consumer education, complaint handling, counseling and guidance , product testing labs, and so on.

(g) Legislative Measures

A number of laws have been enacted in India to safeguard the interest of consumers and protect them from unscrupulous and unethical practices of the businessmen.